Group Member

Lee O, So Tin Yan, Chung Ho Chun, Fung Yik Sang Joshua, Wong Wai Wa

Reflection

“Parallel Lines” stands out as my favorite and most successful film among all the assignments I completed in the past two semesters. It was a valuable learning experience from our Year 1 Screen Production course. At the beginning of the assignment, I did not have a solid script for the pitching section, so I decided to be the Director of Photography for one of the productions. After a lengthy discussion in class, I found Lee O’s script to be touching and meaningful, and the message and style resonated with my previous work “The Endless Fate.” Thus, I became part of the “Parallel Lines” team.

During pre-production, I did not contribute much to the script development, but I and our Producer, Joseph, participated in location research and booking. We visited my alma mater, Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School, and discussed the draft script with my former teachers and principal. They were delighted to offer us the venue with minimal limitations, including an empty room to store our equipment and props. Our team visited the school multiple times to scout locations, discuss mise-en-scene, and framing, among other things.

The park scene was a challenging part for us. We had to find a location close to our main shooting venue to minimize transportation fees and search for a quiet spot to avoid busy traffic audio. As a Yuen Long native, I wanted to incorporate the Light Rail into the film, so we chose a semi-remote park in Ping Shan as our location.

During the shoot, the Assistant Director, Angel So, and I were anxious about the schedule. Under the scorching heat, our crew became agitated, and the atmosphere on-set was tense. However, during meal breaks, we gathered as a group to reflect on our performance, identify issues, and share our thoughts to improve production. As an irritable person, I tried to remain composed on-set as I realized that the crew’s emotions could spread to other members, which would not be ideal. Fortunately, with an open-minded discussion and adjustment, we managed to shoot in line with progress.

As the Director of Photography, I was responsible for deciding on the shot style during the pre-production period in collaboration with the team. Given that the story revolves around the relationship between two characters, I opted for numerous track-shots and dolly-shots to create a particular tempo and evoke emotions within our film.

“Parallel Lines” is a story about a school being forced to close down, and we had to invite several cast members to act as alumni and teachers on the campus. I am grateful to our friends and my former teacher at my alma mater who were willing to be part of the film.